Treating a cough depends on where in the stage of the cold process you are. This information was taken from the US Pharmacist website. I thought it was interesting to know that not every cough should be treated and the coughing process in actually beneficial at certain stages.
"..."productive" coughs are beneficial, and should not be stopped. Instead, you should drink lots of water, use a vaporizer or a humidifier, and take a nonprescription product containing guaifenes-in, such as Robitussin.
However, there are times when all other cold symptoms have disappeared, but a cough hangs on for several days. This dry, hacking, nonproductive cough can be halted with the use of such nonprescription ingredients as dextromethorphan (Vicks 44), topical menthol products (Vicks Vaporub, Mentholatum), menthol lozenges or tablets (Hall's), or vaporizer inhalants (Kaz Inhalant, Vicks Inhalant)."
